Spanish Imperfect Tense: 3 Hacks to Remember the Only Irregular Verbs


If you have spent any time studying the Spanish preterite tense, you know it can be a nightmare of stem changes, "j" groups, and completely unpredictable endings. It is enough to make any student want to close their textbook. But here is the good news: the Spanish verbs imperfect tense is incredibly kind to learners.

In the entire Spanish language, there are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense. That’s it. No exceptions, no hidden "extra" irregulars in advanced levels—just three.

Because there are so few, you can master them in minutes. Here are three effective hacks to help you memorize the irregulars Ser, Ir, and Ver so you never forget them again.

Hack #1: The "Identity" Trick for Ser (To Be)

The verb Ser is used to describe what things or people were like in the past—their essence or identity. In the imperfect, Ser becomes Era.

To remember this, think of the word "Era" in English (as in "The Victorian Era"). An "era" describes a period of time in the past, just like the imperfect tense describes a period of life in the past.

The Conjugation:

  • Yo era

  • Tú eras

  • Él/Ella/Usted era

  • Nosotros éramos (Note the accent!)

  • Vosotros erais

  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes eran

Why it’s easy: It looks almost like the English word "era." When you want to say "I was a happy child," just think: "In that era of my life, I was happy." (En esa era de mi vida, yo era feliz.)

Hack #2: The "Going to the Bar" Mnemonic for Ir (To Go)

The verb Ir (to go) turns into Iba. This is the most common irregular you will use because it helps you describe where you "used to go."

To remember this, use the sound: "I-BA."

Imagine you "used to go" to a BA-r.

The Conjugation:

  • Yo iba

  • Tú ibas

  • Él/Ella/Usted iba

  • Nosotros íbamos (Note the accent!)

  • Vosotros ibais

  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes iban

Pro Tip: This verb is vital for the "Ir + a + Infinitive" structure in the past. If you want to say "I was going to call you," you use the imperfect of Ir: "Yo iba a llamarte."

Hack #3: The "Keep the E" Rule for Ver (To See)

Strictly speaking, Ver is barely irregular. If it were regular, the conjugation for "I used to see" would be vía (removing the -er and adding -ía). However, Spanish keeps the "e" from the original verb to make it Veía.

The Conjugation:

  • Yo veía

  • Tú veías

  • Él/Ella/Usted veía

  • Nosotros veíamos

  • Vosotros veíais

  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes veían

How to remember: Just tell yourself that Ver wants to be "seen." By keeping its "e," it ensures the root of the verb stays visible. Every single form of Ver in the imperfect carries an accent on the í, which is consistent with all regular -ER and -IR verbs.

Comparison of the "Big Three"

SubjectSer (To be)Ir (To go)Ver (To see)
Yoeraibaveía
Túerasibasveías
Él/Ellaeraibaveía
Nosotroséramosíbamosveíamos
Vosotroseraisibaisveíais
Elloseranibanveían

Why Are These the Only Ones?

You might be wondering about verbs like Hacer, Tener, or Estar, which are notoriously difficult in other tenses. In the imperfect, they are completely regular.

  • Tener becomes tenía (I used to have)

  • Hacer becomes hacía (I used to do/make)

  • Estar becomes estaba (I was [location/emotion])

This makes the imperfect one of the most "low-stress" tenses in the Spanish language. Once you have tucked Ser, Ir, and Ver into your long-term memory using these hacks, you have mastered the "difficult" part of the tense.

Putting the Irregulars Into Practice

To make these stick, try to create a single story using all three. For example:

"Cuando era (Ser) niño, iba (Ir) al cine todos los sábados y veía (Ver) dibujos animados."

(When I was a child, I went to the movies every Saturday and saw cartoons.)

By grouping these three together in a "childhood memory" sentence, you reinforce the connection between the irregular forms and the natural use of the imperfect tense.



Mastering Spanish Imperfect Tense: Your Complete Guide to Nostalgia and Habits


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